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The cartoon characters in comic books, due to their influence on the masses, can educate and spread important messages to people living in backward rural communities. Comic books developed by the World Health Organization has created health awareness in Southeast Asia. Some other comic books have spread the message of environmental protection and ways to develop fisheries. These books should reflect the local culture to help people identify with the characters.

Modern industrial agricultural methods are causing extensive environmental damage. In view of this, concerned individuals such as Japanese farmer-phhilosopher M. Fukuoka, Australians D. Holmgren and B. Mollison and the late American J. J. Rodale have come up with alternative farming methods that foster revolutionary organic farming systems. However, governments, foreign agencies and farmers are not yet ready to embracethese integrated 'lifestyle' farming systems. Agricultural scientists, instead,are proposing balanced development and the more effective use of inputs.

The Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service has developed equipment to assist Bangladeshi women compete with mechanised mills in rice processing. Equipment consists of a Model 5 parboiling unit and No. 4 Engleberg huller. The service also offers advice on financial management. The process facilitates production of a more uniform and higher quality product. Four women initially trained to operate the equipment in 1991 have passed on their skills to other home processors.

The Flexible Solacutor is a safe, cheap and effective grain disinfester developed by scientists at the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, India. The device makes use ofsolar energy to destroy insects at all developmental stages in up to 100 kg of grain. It consists of a pouch made from black, high-molecular-weight, high-density polyethylene and a sheet made from low-molecular-weight, low-density polyethylene.

Canada's Can$12.7 billion James Bay Two hydroelectric project is being opposed by various groups. Northwestern Quebec's Cree and Inuit indians believe that their source of livelihood will be severely affected by the dam, which will flood an area of more than 3,000 square kilometers. Environmentalists question the need for such a project. In 1991, the Canadian Federal Court issued a restraining order pending several reviews to determine whether or not the project should continue.

A genetically engineered strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, K1026, is being used in Australia to prevent crown gall because K1026 inhibits the crown gall microbe's growth. K1026 was developed by Allen Kerr of the University of Adelaide from a naturally occurring strain, K84. The engineered strain has been altered to prevent the transfer of agrocin 84, the antibiotic that inhibits the microbes, to pathogenic strains which cause crown gall and can become immune to agocin 84. K1026 has been cleared for use in Australia and is being submitted for approval in the US.

China embarked on a program of ecologically sound agriculture which aimed to revitalize ancient agricultural and horticultural knowledge and to forestall impending ecological disaster. Now, some 90 million trees have been planted in China and more than 1,200 eco-farms have been created. Other countries such as India and Africa areinterested in adopting the Chinese farming techniques.

The Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand has come up with a simple, solar-powered rice dryer made largely of bamboo poles and plastic sheeting. Thedryer prevents second crops from spoilage during the rainy season and isaffordable particularly for poor rice farmers from South and Southeast Asia. It costs around US$150 to construct a one-ton capacity dryer, and much less if the farmers do not have to spend for the bamboo poles.